The prior art of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 58-18111. This conventional device comprises, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), a base 1 having wheels 11; a burner 12, a combustion chamber 13 and an irradiation pipe 14 which are disposed on a front part of said base 1; and a blower 15 and a fuel tank 16 which are disposed on a rear part thereof, said combustion chamber 13 being formed by double inner and outer cylindrical structures. The air rate to be supplied into said inner and outer cylindrical structures can be regulated. The heat irradiating portion 2 is provided with a guard 4 stretched across its front surface. Furthermore, the heat irradiating portion 2 is provided with a control disk 3 projecting sidewards therefrom.
In this conventional device, the heat irradiating portion 2 including the irradiation pipe 14, and the fuel tank 16 are disposed respectively on front and rear parts of the upper surface of the base 1. Accordingly, the front-to-back width of the device is large and the center of gravity of the whole device is high.
Also, because the prior art device is constructed such that the air rate to be supplied to the combustion chamber is regulated, the construction is complicated and the operation is troublesome.
Furthermore, when the device is viewed as a whole, the fuel tank 16 and the control disk 3 project therefrom. Accordingly, the outer appearance and design thereof are not neat or streamlined, the device is bulky when assembled, and transportation is not efficient.
The invention of the present application has been accomplished in an attempt to obviate the above-mentioned inconveniences inherent in the conventional liquid fuel combustion type infrared ray irradiating apparatus.
Therefore, objects of the present invention include providing: (1) an apparatus of the aforementioned type in which the front-to-back width is small and the center of gravity is low; (2) an apparatus of the aforementioned type in which the supplying rate of air is not required to be regulated; (3) an apparatus of the aforementioned type in which cooling efficiency of the apparatus itself is enhanced; (4) an apparatus of the aforementioned type which is light in weight and yet rigid in structure; and (5) an apparatus of the aforementioned type having a reflecting plate which is designed so as to be easy to mount.
The invention of the present application is characterized in providing means as listed hereunder in order to achieve the above objects.
As for the first object, a fuel tank is fixedly suspended astride parallel members which form long sides of a base formed in a generally parallel tetragon, the base being provided, on a lower surface thereof, with wheels.
As for the second object, there is provided an outer jacket surrounding a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being linearly connected to a burner, and the outer jacket being provided with a plurality of openings.
As for the third object, a cooling air flow passage is formed by a reflecting bottom plate covering an upper surface of the base, reflecting plates disposed behind an irradiation pipe, and a back cover covering the back of a heat irradiating portion of the apparatus.
As for the fourth object, there is provided a reinforcement member, the ends of which are fixed to rearward parts of right and left side plates on the heat irradiating portion, an intermediate portion other than the fixed ends of said reinforcement member being bowed slightly backward relative to the fixed ends and the side plates.
As for the fifth object, there are provided a plurality of reflecting plates, each of which is fixed for support at each end thereof to one of a pair of right and left reflecting side plates in said heat irradiating portion, and each of which is formed with a bent portion along a lower edge thereof.
The invention of the present application having such characteristic construction as mentioned above functions as follows:
The fuel tank is disposed beneath the heat irradiating portion, thus reducing the front-to-back width of the apparatus and the required installation area. In addition, because the fuel tank is disposed beneath the heat irradiating portion, the center of gravity becomes lower than that of the conventional apparatus. Moreover, the center of gravity becomes even lower when additional fuel is supplied, and therefore the apparatus is less susceptible to tipping over.
The combustion chamber which becomes the highest in temperature by combustion is surrounded with an outer jacket and a plurality of openings are formed in the periphery of the outer jacket. Accordingly, a large quantity of local radiation of infrared rays coming from the high temperature and red-hot combustion chamber is absorbed by the outer jacket, and mild irradiation of infrared rays is performed from the outer surface of the outer jacket. In this way, irradiation of the infrared rays is equalized or averaged at each part of the entire surface of the heat radiation chamber. Also, the red-hot state of the combustion chamber can be seen through the openings formed in the periphery of the outer jacket, and the operation of the apparatus can thus be visually confirmed from a distance.
Cooling air is passed from beneath the reflecting bottom plate covering the upper surface of the base toward the back side of the reflecting plates of the heat irradiating portion, and the cooling air is drawn in from a low position where the temperature is lowest. Accordingly, effective cooling is performed, and high back cover temperatures are avoided.
The reinforcement member is stretched between the right and left side plates of the heat irradiating portion, and accordingly, the strength of the heat irradiating portion is increased. As a result, the thickness of the structural plates used can be reduced to realize a light weight apparatus. In addition, as the reinforcement member is bowed slightly backwardly, a predetermined space, even when the apparatus is installed along a wall surface, is naturally maintained between the wall surface and the apparatus and no accumulation of heat occurs. Moreover, the reinforcement member also serves as a handle when the apparatus is transferred to a new location.
Because the reflecting plates are simply fixed to the right and left reflecting side plates, the mounting operation is easy. Also, the bent portion formed at the lower edge of each reflecting plate reduces noises generated due to vibration during operation of the apparatus.